The present application relates generally to power generation systems and, more particularly, to systems and apparatus for use in monitoring and controlling a load in a power generation system.
During certain time periods, demand for electricity by customers may exceed available supply from power utility companies. For example, certain events may cause energy demand to peak at a level that is above a utility's ability to provide electricity to every customer. Accordingly, “blackouts” or “brownouts” may be imposed upon customers. Power utilities generally do not have the ability to selectively determine which loads within a customer's premises will be disabled during a blackout or brownout. Rather, during such power conditions, a customer's entire premises are typically subjected to a reduction or complete loss of power when the blackout or brownout occurs.
To enhance the flexibility to their customers, rather than merely forcing an indiscriminate loss of power, some power utilities use so-called “smart grid” or Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) power networks. Using an AMI network, a power utility may communicate with individual loads within a customer's premises in an effort to selectively reduce power consumption during peak usage periods. For example, a power utility may reduce power to low priority loads, while maintaining power to high priority loads.
To reap the benefits of AMI networks, a power utility must be able to communicate with appliances and other loads within a customer's premises. Specifically, it is desirable and may be necessary for a utility to communicate power control messages to individual appliances, and to monitor the compliance of the appliances in responding to such control messages. The prevalence of “non-intelligent,” or legacy, appliances may present an impediment to the successful implementation of an AMI network. For example, legacy appliances often do not have the capability of receiving or responding to power control messages sent by a power utility. Moreover, it may be desirable or necessary for a utility to monitor compliance with power control messages sent to loads within a customer's premises. In known AMI systems, if a message is sent to a load, the utility may be unable to verify that the load received and/or complied with the message. If a message is lost or is not implemented by the load, the utility may be unable to properly correct and/or compensate for the message failure.